This week's best comedy is very in-tents

The week's best live comedy.

Sunday July 22

DERBY: Bar One hosts another Edinburgh all-dayer, with a batch of Fringe previews for just £8 for the lot. The all-male line-up, which starts at 2pm, comprises Alistair Williams, Danny Ward, Dominic Holland, Gary Delaney, Phil Nichol and Scott Bennett.

LONDON: Loveable Joe Lycett goes al fresco as he brings his tour, I’m About To Lose Control And I Think Joe Lycett, to the Regents Park Open Air Theatre.

SHREWSBURY: The town’s international comedy festival (thanks to a couple of British-based Irish and Canadian acts) ends with a sold-out gala at the Theatre Severn in which Russell Kane introduces Abandoman, Allyson June Smith, Carl Donnelly, Jason Byrne and Nish Kumar.

YORK: The Great Yorkshire Fringe continues all week. Our pick of the day? The Mash Report’s breakout star Rachel Parris at 7pm

Monday July 23

LONDON: Soho Theatre is introducing two comics from the fast-emerging Indian stand-up sense to London this week: Sumit Anand, five years into comedy, who talks about daydreaming, growing up in a village and polar bears, and Mumbai’s Karunesh Talwar, a seven-year veteran of the clubs and something of a YouTube success. They share a bill – in English, you may be pleased to know – at 7.30pm all week.

Tuesday July 24

MANCHESTER: XS Malarkey at the Bread Shed has two Edinburgh previews that are as sure-fire as you can get for works in progress, with Ahir Shah and Felicity Ward bringing the funnies.

Wednesday July 25

LONDON: The Ealing Comedy festival resumes for the next three nights in the marquee erected in Walpole Park. Sean Lock, pictured, headlines tonight with Josh Widdicombe, Jake Lambert, Phil Jerrod and Joanne McNally also on the bill. And Thursday and Friday are gala nights, with a mammoth 12 top circuit comics on every bill.

Thursday July 26

DUBLIN: More than 100 acts descend on Iveagh Gardens the annual Vodafone Comedy Festival over this weekend. Among them are David O’Doherty, Jason Byrne, Tommy Tiernan and Aisling Bea. Click here for full listings.

NORWICH: The Norfolk city also hosts a four-day tented comedy festival, entitled Laugh In The Park. Tonight’s opening gala at Chapelfield Gardens, featuring local heroes The Nimmo Twins and Tim FitzHigham, has sold out, but treats over the weekend include Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue, Ed Byrne and Reginald D Hunter.

Friday July 27

CANTERBURY: The Marlowe Theatre offers some of the strongest stand-ups around tonight, with Andrew Maxwell, Joe Wilkinson, Reginald D Hunter and Zoe Lyons.

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Published: 22 Jul 2018